Weekly Thought: Gifts...

"Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third."

Marge Piercy

My Little Photographer

Every so often my little boy comes to me while I'm at my desk wanting to have a bash on my laptop, instead  I pull out my camera and show him how to take photos. Anyway one day when I left him upstairs to play while I quickly did something downstairs, I came back to the room to find my camera on the floor. I didn't think too much of it as he always likes to pull things off my desk and it's my own fault for leaving things too close to the edge. The next day when I went to use my camera I found all these 'random' photos that I hadn't taken. So here are a few of his work. 

Weekly Thought: Darcy Bussell

I came across this quote from one of my favourite ballerinas, Darcy Bussell. It was in my new book "Things to do now that your... a mum". 

"Being a mother has made my life complete."

My New Beach Bag

With the warmer weather approaching I felt inspired to make a large beach bag. I love bags and never seem to have enough of them. I wanted a bag large enough to hold all of our towels (3 peoples worth) and other beach essentials and not to mention extra items for our little boy. I made the bag out of bed sheet material (I chose this because I like the feel of cotton and it's easy to wash). I got the external sheet from the local fabric shop and the internal sheet was found in our cupboard (just white sheets that no one has used in years). There are 4 large pockets inside the bag, perfect for sun-screen, water bottles or baby wipes. 

Weekly Thought: Happiness

To start the week off I thought I'd post this thought. This weeks thought came to me through an email from my mother in-law. Hope you enjoy and have a HAPPY week. 

Weekly Thought: The role of mother...

Today's thought is found in a new book my husband got for me at the second hand shop. Every time we go there he always thinks of me and finds me lots of nice things. 

"The role of mother is probably the most important career a woman can have" 

-Janet Mary Riley

My Family Proclamation

To join in the celebration of Family 2011 I have been inspired to post a photo story of my family and how we have been influenced & guided by The Family: A Proclamation to the World. Enjoy! 

"Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny."

"We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife."

"...spirit sons and daughters knew and worshipped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan..."

"Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally."

"THE FIRST COMMANDMENT that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife."

"HUSBAND AND WIFE have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other..."

"... and for their children."

"THE FAMILY is ordained of God."

Thanks to the many bloggers of "Celebrate Family 2011" who have all inspired me to blog and reflect upon the blessings of being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

My Costco Experience

On arriving at Costco our little boy was fast asleep, what a perfect way to start! We began our journey with lunch trying the hot dogs, pizza, and frozen yoghurt. The food wasn't bad considering it was pretty cheap and I must say the pizza was pretty good and it was a pretty generous serve (I guess it's the American serving). The frozen yoghurt was yum, it tastes just like soft serve ice-cream. 

When we entered the store we were welcomed with many big and shiny TVs. We've recently been looking around for a TV so we had an idea of prices and it was pretty good at Costco. We were definitely tempted to buy one but decided against it as we didn't have enough room in the car. From the TVs and electronics we moved onto the jewellery section. It was a little hard to believe the lack of security they had around this section given that they had a diamond ring "worth" $400K. Moving along to something more affordable was the kitchenware. They had some nice pots and pan sets for a reasonable price, and if you like stationary there was a pretty decent range, but remember everything is bulk, so you'll be looking at buying 10 pens rather than just one.
The fresh produce wasn't too bad, but most things were pre-packaged so some things weren't as cheap because of the packaging. But the refrigerator rooms were pretty amazing and cold! What was good if you need to buy bulk was the pre-packed salads. It would be perfect for parties or church functions when you need to feed a lot of people. What I really liked was the bakery section, we got a pack of 12 muffins for $10 and I'm talking about the big kind of  muffins! Because 12 is a lot to eat at once we've put some in the freezer in seal-lock bags which will come in handy when those sugar cravings hit. They also had amazingly huge apple pies, chocolate cakes that weighed 2.5kg and black forest cakes all for a very reasonable price. 

From left to right, top to bottom-
Pizza, A few things we purchased, Nathan & Charlie in the massive refrigerator room,  A massive apple pie.

Now on to the toy/clothing/book/dvd/everything else section, there was seriously something for everyone. For Charlie- they had really cool timber cubby houses, something I really would like to get for him. Nathan and I have talked about making a cubby house for our kids but who needs to when you can buy them for pretty cheap. Just timber alone would cost about the same amount. There was also really cute patio play sets and mini kitchens and plenty of books for all ages. For Nathan- there were a couple of things Nathan had his eyes on, the US Divers Snorkel and Flipper set for only $54 and golf bag and clubs (I think was no more than $200). For Me- there was a beautiful nativity set I would absolutely love to have and I know my mum and mother-in law would want one too. It was gorgeous! There were some nice jackets too ( yes I know I have so many already, but I think you can never have too many jackets and coats). One in particular was the North Face winter jacket, it was so soft and cosy looking. 

My Costco Wish List

Now back to the food you can buy the pizza that they sell at the cafeteria frozen for $15, these pizzas are bigger than any pizza I've seen here and there is so much topping! They also had buffalo chicken wings hot or frozen, which we'll have to try next time for lunch! It was pretty cool walking around seeing all the things they sold and the bulk packaging. I can see why there was so much hype and excitement when they opened. It is a good place to shop especially for those bulk items like toilet paper, nappies, and wipes. What they didn't have much of was beauty products, there was only a handful of face creams and make up products. All in all I had a great time at Costco and you can make good savings there provided you've done your research as there were some items that could be purchased for the same price at a local supermarket without having to buy in bulk. I look forward to visiting Costco again and also trying some of our American treats! Feel free to leave a comment of your experience at Costco and what you've found to be a good buy. 

From left to right:
Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate with Marshmellows $4.79, Skippy Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter $5.69, Ocean Spray Craisins Dried Cranberries 1.36kg $9.39

Covercutie Competition

Our little boy is in the running for the Cover Cutie Competition. Please vote for him!

http://www.covercutie.com.au/vote_details.php?i=859d1498f98c1de863e8268890021cfc85ea6cf6

Sleep Training

It has been 15 months since we brought our precious little baby home & sleep training began from the very beginning. Our first night in hospital was a real learning experience, he was born 6.40 AM and slept like a baby almost the entire day. So when it came to night time he was wide awake. And not knowing much about babies and especially new born bubs I didn't really know what to do. I was in a shared room so I didn't want Charlie crying and waking up our room-mate. I called the nurse once in the middle of the night but I didn't find her too helpful as she didn't even speak to me and automatically moved Charlie into my bed and pulled up the bed-rail! I was horrified when she did it, having done my PhD in SIDS research, it is strongly recommended that babies sleep in their own bed and not share with their parents. I left Charlie there for a few minutes but felt so uncomfortable I moved him back to his crib and hung my arm over it so that he could feel me touching him. 

Brand new baby fast asleep in the birth suite

We only stayed in hospital for one day, I couldn't wait to get home and get into our normal life routine with our new baby. When we were home I made a conscious decision from the start to train my boy to be a good sleeper, some of the decisions I made from very early on was:
1- not to rock him to sleep in my arms, 
2- let him lie in his crib well fed and awake so he gets familiar with his sleep environment and falling asleep on his own 
3- set a bedtime routine that's consistent but can be flexible with changing circumstances. 


It may sound easy but trust me we had our hard days & nights but if your determined to train your bub to sleep well it will happen eventually... Make sure your partner is in on the training regime, it is all about consistency. So take the time to sit down & talk about how you want to sleep train your baby, it's a team effort.

When Charlie was a newborn I noticed his natural sleeping rhythm, it was to sleep through the day and be awake at night- this is how be was in the womb. He was fast asleep while I was awake and moving around but as soon as I rested and slept he was having a party in my tum. So to help him understand day and night when he had his day sleeps I would put him in a room where the sun shone brightly through the windows. 


I tried very hard not to cradle him for too long while he was asleep in my arms, it's not that I didn't want to sit there for hours gazing at my beautiful baby but in the back of my mind I kept thinking, what kind of toddler do I want, what sleep habits do I want him to have?! Ideally I wanted him to be able to go to sleep on his own without any fuss, and don't all parents want that?! 


We had him sleep in a bassinet in our bedroom and around 2 months we moved him into his own bedroom and cot. We found it difficult to sleep with him in our room and vice versa. Once he was in his own room he slept much better. I used a baby monitor for a little while when we first moved him into his own room as I felt anxious and was worried I wouldn't hear him cry when he needed a feed. It worked and I woke up every time, but after speaking to a friend and having tried her advice I'd like to pass on her wisdom. 


If you can resist don't use the monitor while you're sleeping, the baby will cry loud enough for you to hear them when they are ready for a feed. We had Charlie in the room across the hallway from us and we all slept with the doors shut, trust me I heard him! Eliminating the monitor allowed me to get those extra few minutes of sleep when he would wriggle and gurgle prior to the call out for milk.


As he got older putting him to sleep during the day got a little tougher as he wanted to keep playing. Sometimes I would let him 'cry it out' before he'll fall asleep and if he didn't fall asleep I would go and give him a cuddle and try to put him back down. After a while of letting him do it he has become more proficient at falling asleep. 


For a while he has only been having one sleep during the day & I use to put him to sleep mid-morning around 10am. Recently I have moved his day-time sleep to anywhere between 11.30-1, I have found this to work much better for both of us as he is much more tired by and he'll go to sleep easier and by the time he awakes in the afternoon he doesn't need to stay awake for "too" many hours before bedtime. Now that I have also reduced his breast-feeds to morning and night when I put him to sleep in the middle of the day I give him a bottle of milk and then put him to sleep in his cot. This has worked well as he knows the routine and seems much happier to comply. 

14.5 month old fast asleep during the afternoon

It has been a long day-to-day process in training this active boy to sleep well, but once we got ourself a good routine all that effort was well worth it. I'm so glad he is sleeping through the night and taking his necessary nap during the day, and if there is a day he doesn't take his nap I don't stress over it too much as he'll most likely want a really long sleep the next day. So for those who are training their precious bubs to sleep, hang in there and keep on at it! If things aren't quite working and you've been trying for a while, give something else a go. There is no real right or wrong, every baby/child/parent/family is different so do what works for you. I just wanted to share my experience and what has worked for us. 

Herb Garden Updates- 2 weeks on...

Two weeks on from planting these tiny little seeds, we have little sprouts of basil, oregano and chives!!! I'm so excited that my herbs have started to grow. Just to let you know what I did, I soaked the seeds in water for a couple of hours prior to planting them. Here I've used potting mix (this is all I found in our shed), and I did a little bit of reading online and found that potting mix is good in terms of airflow and keeping them hydrated. To plant the seeds all I did was sprinkle them throughout the pot and then put a thin layer of mix over the top of them, I watered them and then put cling wrap around the top of the pots and left them in the sun. The cling wrap acted like a greenhouse and each day I watered them slightly just to keep the moisture in the pot. It was a good thing I used the cling wrap because that night after planting them it rained for a few days and they would've drowned, so the cling wrap helped protect my herbs.

One week after planting I saw little sprouts of the basil and then the oregano, it was only a few days ago that the chives had sprouted. These pictures were taken today, so this is day 13 of my herb garden. Stay tuned to see how they grow in the next couple of weeks.

Basil 

 Basil- up close and personal

 Oregano

Chives

Book review: The Australian's Women's Weekly Allergy-free cooking for kids

This is one of the gems I've come across recently in our local library. Actually it is thanks to Nathan & Charlie for spotting it in the new books section. It has great recipes for those with gluten, egg or diary allergies. 

The book is broken into three major sections, gluten-free, dairy-free and egg-free & within each section contains sub-sections which focus around certain meals of the day: brekkie, my lunch box, after-school snacks, dinner for everyone, seriously sweet and party time. 

I am particularly interested in the gluten and egg-free sections of this book. It provides great basic recipes which turn out fantastic and they are ones that you can modify for your own needs. For example this week I made Bacon & Cheese Muffins and rather than using fresh chicken eggs I used 2 teaspoons of 'No-Egg' so that my little boy could enjoy it. And because it was so yummy even being gluten and egg free I thought why don't I make some of the rest of us with wheat flour and eggs. They turned out just as yummy. 

I recommend this book to anyone who has certain food intolerances as it will provide you with great recipes and the best thing is they are very easy to make. What I also like about this book is it gives you the ingredients and methods to make gluten-free pastry! No more guess work when learning how to cook with new types of flour and having to deal with the mess after a failed attempt. I love it when someone else has done the hard work and I can enjoy cooking food that I know will be a HIT with the boys. 

Managing Eczema in our Baby Boy

What started out as cradle cap (a oily, yellow, scaly patches on the skin of the scalp which many infants experience) gradually turned into months of trying to manage eczema in our young boy. Like most new mothers when you are faced with any sign of change you want to know if its normal or not. When Charlie was only a few months old he had cradle cap, I did my research online and talked to several mothers and saw the Dr about it. I followed the treatment/management plan by using olive oil (I chose to use this as it was the most natural option). After weeks of treating it, the cradle cap didn't seem to get rid of itself, instead it seemed like it was moving more towards his forehead. There is a family history of eczema in my family, with my father and brother having it pretty seriously throughout their whole life. 

cradle cap and early signs of eczema at 3 months

We later made a family road trip to Melbourne. It was in September so the weather was rather cold and dry, we were in Melbourne for 1 week and a few days into it his 'cradle cap' (what I thought it was) had became very red, sore and pussy. It had never been so bad so I stopped using any oils on it as the skin was broken and I didn't want to irritate it any further. I didn't think too much of it except that perhaps the weather in Melbourne was so much cooler and drier to what we were used to andit was just his skin's way in reacting to the changing atmosphere. 

  

When we returned back to Sydney the following day I had an appointment at the Children's Hospital Westmead for Charlie to be a subject for the medical students paediatrics practical exams. When I arrived at the hospital I asked the organiser if there was someone who could look at Charlie's skin and immediately I had 3 paediatricians attend to him. Instantly they identified him to have a staph infection and had to withdraw him from the study as it was highly contagious. One of the doctors got straight onto his mobile and called the immunology & allergy specialist and asked if he had time to see Charlie. So in no more than 10 mins they got me to his office, wrote me a referral letter and had Charlie seen by the specialist. 

 3.5 month old with a nasty staph infection- but isn't this still a gorgeous photo, so peacefully asleep the butterfly landed on his mitten-covered hand. 

He was diagnosed to have a staph infection so the Dr gave him antibiotics to take and also cortisone cream for is skin. While the Dr was seeing Charlie he also did an allergy skin prick test on him and this is when we discovered he had a wheat allergy. But because Charlie was so young the test was not conclusive and he would have to be re-tested when he was older. A week later we saw the Dr again and the infection had cleared miraculously overnight and what he had left was redness around his face which presented as eczema. Our next plan of action to help improve or eliminate his eczema was to change my diet (I was still fully breastfeeding him so anything I ate he would be getting exposed to via the breast milk). The Dr put me on a no milk, eggs and nut diet to see if that would improve his skin. After a month I didn't really see any significant improvement in his skin so the Dr asked me to try putting him on Karicare Gold Pepti Junior formula, which would eliminate all types of foods that could be allergenic. After 2 weeks of formula there still was no show of improvement, so all we could really do was keep applying the creams the Dr had prescribed. So when there wasn't much we could do for the eczema we tried to prevent him from wounding himself with scratching. My mother-in law stitched up the hand holes of larger cotton shirts for him to wear so that he wouldn't scratch and bleed his skin. 

well into his eczema at 5 month old

eczema on his face at 6 month old- see the shirt with the hand holes sewn up

still a happy & playful baby at 6.5 months

It was difficult to see his skin so irritated and not be able to do anything to help relieve his pain. But once the weather was warmer we took him swimming at the beach. Swimming at the beach has always worked good for my dad and his eczema so we thought why not, we've got nothing to loose. After one swim in the beach his skin would look very tender but by the next morning most of the redness was gone. We went to the beach almost every day and on the days when we couldn't go I would bathe him in sea salt (from the health food shop). The salt water was amazing, not only did it help heal the wounds, his skin didn't seem as irritated and the roughness of the eczema had gone and his skin was soft and smooth and I hardly had to use the creams. 

massive improvements after a few swims at the beach

8.5 months old- thank you beach!

cheery 12 month old without eczema

So almost 15 months old he has not had another outbreak of eczema this winter and only occasionally will I need to use sorbolene just to keep his legs moisturised. I really hope he has grown out of the eczema. Maybe he'll break the chain of eczema in our family history. 

14.5 month old, survived through winter without any break-outs! 

If anyone has had any experiences with eczema in their children or for themselves, please feel free to comment, I would love to hear about your experience and learn from it. 

Bacon and Cheese Muffins

This is a nice simple recipe that I got from the Australian Women's Weekly Allergy-Free cooking for kids book with some slight changes to suit my son's needs and what I could find at home. This recipe makes 12 muffins and took about 35 mins to prepare and cook.

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil

200g finely chopped bacon

1 small onion

1/3 cup frozen green peas

1 1/4 cups gluten-free self-raising flour

1/3 cup polenta

3/4 cup grated cheese

2/3 cup milk

2 tsp Orgran No-Egg (natural egg replacer)

60g melted butter

Methods:

1.  Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius, line muffin tin with paper cases
2. Heat oil in medium frying pan; cook bacon, onion and green peas until soft. Cool.
3. Combine flour, polenta and cheese in medium bowl; stir in Orgran No-Egg, milk and butter followed by bacon mixture.
4. Divide mixture among paper cases.
5. Bake for 20 mins. Stand muffins before moving onto a wire rack to cool.

You can make changes to the recipe such as the veges you put in such as corn, zucchini, carrots, even herbs would be nice. Just experiment with the foods you have at home. I did and it turned out great, at least the little fella ate his peas!!

The Birth of our Son

The thought of labour always made me feel anxious, especially after hearing my mum's experience with her 26 hour ordeal with episiotomy and forceps delivery whilst the umbilical cord was wrapped around my brothers neck not once, not twice but three times. Thankfully I didn't have to share that same experience but I still went through my fair share of "labouring". 

It was Friday afternoon when I started experiencing contractions that were 15 mins apart. This lasted several hours and by 9pm the contractions were 10 mins apart. By about 10pm I thought to myself if this is the start of labour my contractions should be 5 mins apart by 2am. So with that thought in mind I shuffled into bed to get some rest. I was able to sleep through the contractions and at 2am the contractions were exactly 5 mins apart and my waters broke at 2.30am. Luckily I'd been wearing a pad so I didn't leave a mess in the bedroom. I went straight to the bathroom and the contractions got extremely intense, it was so intense I began shaking & could hardly speak. I called out to my husband (who was in the living room 'staying awake' for that moment when we had to go to the hospital- he knew I would be going into labour so he didn't want to be asleep and drowsy). I called the hospital and told them the situation and they said I was ready to go in. 

We arrived at the hospital at 3am and they got us settled in to my room (I still can't believe how large the birth suites are). The midwife checked baby's heart rate and then got me to walk around, she said it would help the labour progress. I walked up and down the corridor a few times until the contractions were so regular I hardly had rest in between contractions. The midwife came and did an internal examination and at 4.30am I was about 4 cm dilated. Because the contractions were so intense and regular I asked for an epidural. I had been told they can take up to an hour to organise and administer so I thought if it's already this intense imagine if I had a few more hours of it, so I better ask for now. The nurses didn't seem like they were going to organise the epidural for me so they gave me information about alternative pain relief. I went on the gas for a little while but it didn't seem to relieve enough pain. They suggested I go into the bath with the gas. So after one contraction on the bed with the gas I quickly rushed over to the bathroom to get back on the gas before the next contraction. This is probably the only time I wished the room wasn't so large. Once I was in the bath it was quite comfortable, however I think it was a tad too hot, I started to feel really light-headed. I really liked being in the bath, it took  the weight off my back and hips which did help relieve some pain from the contractions. But I didn't stay comfortable in there for long, I started feeling the "pushing" sensation so we quickly got the midwife back and they moved me back to the bed and by that time I was already 8 cm dilated... by this time I knew I definitely wasn't going to get an epidural.

From this point on the pain was pretty tough so I just kept mediating words like "open wide, push down" (something I learnt from the Birth Skills book I read). I didn't say much through my labour, but instead I was concentrating so hard in my mind using 'self-talk' methods I'd used previously in hard physical exercise challenges. I'd read about different birthing positions and the one I thought looked the easiest and most comfortable was leaning over the head of the bed. I went into this position and when it was almost time to start pushing the midwife got me to turn around and lie on my back! This was the last position I wanted to deliver in, just anatomically it was much more effort and gravity was not on my side. Anyway I preserved through it & they did this so have a better view as I needed an episiotomy. With a few pushes he was out. He was put straight onto my chest and it was absolutely the most amazing feeling. I met my little baby boy, such a precious little thing! He was so perfect, it was truly love at first sight.

Nathan had asked to cut the umbilical cord so with the sharp shiny scissors he went in for the cut. [Weeks prior to labour we had read about a mid-wife cutting a baby's finger while cutting the cord. So in my mind I was thinking maybe I should hold back Charlie's little fingers, but at the time I thought it should be ok.] As Nathan was cutting the cord, it was rather tough so it required 2 snips and as he finished the second cut Charlie's little hand went to grab the scissors!! I'm so glad nothing happened, but that was a close call.

Looking back at my experience I have gained a great appreciation for mothers and understand why it is necessary to experience labour. It is a path that helps us develop unconditional love for our precious children. After having been through labour I believe it has refined me to be a more loving mother. 

Super Easy Chocolate Cake or Cupcakes

My husband had asked me in advanced to make some treats for his medical tutorial group and of course I left everything to the last minute. So Sunday evening before heading out I had to quickly whip something up for all those hungry med students. I got this recipe from kidspot.com.au and it seriously was quick & easy to make. The recipe can be baked as either a cake or as cupcakes, here I went with the cupcake option just to do something different. 

Ingredients:

1 cup self-raising flour, sifted

1/3 cup cocoa powder, sifted

1 cup castor sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs

Method:

1. preheat oven to 180°C, grease a 24cm cake tin or prepare cupcake tin with patty pans
2. beat sugar, butter and eggs together, add flour, cocoa and milk, mix well.
3. pour batter into cake tin or prepared cupcake tin
4. bake cake for 35-40mins or cupcakes for 12-15mins or until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the centre. 

I like my cakes without icing, but if you wish to dress it up with icing go for it! Hope you enjoy this simple "go-to" chocolate cake recipe.

A Herb Garden

I really like the idea of becoming self sufficient especially with fresh produce. When I was first married my husband and I attempted a vege garden. Unfortunately after our labours we did not have any fruit to partake of. So here I am ready to try again and hopefully this time we'll be able to enjoy the fruits of our labours. 

I'm going to attempt a herb garden, I've heard it's meant to be pretty easy so fingers crossed we'll be able to have success. The herbs that I would like to grow is basil, coriander and oregano. All of which I like to eat and would definitely benefit from them being grown outside the kitchen. I've done some reading and all of these herbs like the sun and seem to be rather easy to cultivate. And this will make a fun activity for my son and I to enjoy as the weather warms up. I'll blog again once I get going on our herb garden but in the meantime here are some quick and interesting facts about these herbs.  

Quick Facts

Basil is widely used in cooking, it is also good for deterring those summer pests (flies- hang a fresh bunch in the kitchen or keep a bowl of it indoors; mosquitoes- burn dried basil stalks on a fire). 

Coriander is a hardy herb and great in salads, sweet and savoury dishes or as a garnish. It makes for a good insect repelling spray. Add half a bucket of leaves, flowers and stems to half a bucket of mixed herb leaves including basil and pour over this one bucket of boiling water. Stand overnight, then strain and add two cups of soap powder. 

Oregano is an essential ingredient in many Italian dishes. It has the ability to dissolve fats in the body and is a great addition to meat dishes like pork. The oils are disliked by all insects, so it is ideal to add to insect repelling sprays and works well on furniture to sweeten a room after smokers have been in it. 

As I read about these herbs I can see that we'll have a very loving relationship, I'll keep nourishing them while they keep me free from insect bites.

Recommended Reading for Expectant Mums.

Like most first time mothers the thought of labour was daunting, heading into the unknown. I would say I did do a fair bit of reading while I was pregnant to prepare myself mentally for the inevitable. One of the books I read that I would highly recommend to anyone expecting is Juju Sundin's Birth Skills with Sarah Murdoch. It gives a great explanation of the birth process through the different stages (without it being too graphic). It also focuses on techniques/skills for pain management that will positively help you through labour. What I most enjoyed about reading this book is it made me feel empowered to conquer "labour" and feel  in prepared for the unknown. 

If your interested in reading about my experience stay tuned, I will be posting it soon. 

Date Night Ideas #1

Date nights is a great way to recharge & rekindle that loving romance in any relationship. One of the many things I've learnt from being married and especially after having a child is to make it a priority to take time out with your loved one and show them how much you love and appreciate them. One way we do this is by scheduling a regular 'date night'. It doesn't have to be an extravagant affair, just a time that is designated for the two of you.

Idea #1: Recently I've been hooked on those discount coupon websites. I bought 2 dinner vouchers for $19 for all-you-can-eat Brazilian BBQ at the Rocks in Sydney. I knew it was something my husband would enjoy and there were a few special occasions coming up in the year (eg. birthdays, anniversaries etc). I highly recommend you check out these websites for great deals, there are heaps of deals for restaurants, retreats, and activities like cooking or photography classes. The best thing about it is it can give you ideas of things to do for 'date nights' and not to mention the savings you make. Most of the vouchers last for 6 months so plan ahead for those special occasions. So check it out and you never know you might be up and away in a hot air balloon sooner than you expect and for a fraction of the price.  

Kleenex So You Think You Can Blog

I entered the Kleenex Mum "So you think you can blog" competition & I got my blog posted on the Kleenex website. If you're interested in reading it here is the link:

http://www.kleenexmums.com.au/meal-ideas/wheat-egg-free-cooking-for-a-growing-boy/

Adapting Family Favourite Meals to non-Wheat & Egg Diets

Recently I've started feeding my 13 month old son some of our family meals. Why it has taken me a while to introduce him to our family meals is that he has a wheat & egg allergy.  When he eats anything containing those ingredients his face and body will swell up in hives. We've seen it happen a few times and it's really not pleasant for any of us, which has made me very conscious of what he eats. Up until now it's been fine giving him his own special "mush" but as he is getting older he is becoming more aware of what everyone else is eating around him. I don't like to make him feel that he can't eat what mummy & daddy eat so I've had to learn to adapt our family meals to his needs. 

One of our family favourites is Mexican. Simply prepare it by melting cheese over the corn chips (make sure they are 'original' just the basic corn, oil and salt- flavoured corn chips may contain wheat products) in the oven/ mircowave and serve with mashed avocado, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and Mexican sauce (this is optional depending on the child, but feel free to add it to your own, they'll hardly notice that you have it & they don't when they start munching on the corn chips). 

Another meal that is becoming a family favourite is Pad Thai. It uses rice noodles, and the paste from the jar I used didn't contain any wheat product (which was found in the Asian grocer). Just take caution when buying the paste, the one I got from Coles was very spicy, so it's not one I'd give to my son because it was too hot even for me to eat. Luckily my husband can handle the heat & he had 3 meals worth all to himself. I made the Pad Thai as instructed on the jar & just took my sons portion out before adding the egg to the rest for us. He loved eating the bean sprouts (to my surprise) and it's an easy meal to let them eat at the own pace off their tray. I love giving him independence especially at meal times. It gives me a chance to sit back and enjoy my meal too. 

Bean Sprouts!!

When I prepare meals with pre-made sauces or pastes I do a quick scan of the ingredients list & especially look out for thickeners no. 1400 - 1450 (they may be derived from wheat, unless otherwise stated). I have noticed that some foods containing 1422 is from modified maize starch so it's been fine for my son. I've seen this in  yoghurt and Indian curry sauce from the jar. 

Adapting family favourites to children with special dietary needs take practise & some research. Just be confident in yourself and have fun in the process. It's a very rewarding feeling to know that you're providing your family with delicious food. It may take a little while to get use to adapting meals but with a little creativity and practise you'll be able to whiz up meals for the whole family in no time. Good bye to the days when you had to cook separate meals for each child. 

Here are my quick tips:

1. Be aware of ingredients that contain wheat & eggs (eg. thickeners, malt etc...)
2. Do a quick check over the ingredient lists.
3. Use alternatives, such as rice, corn, potato, oats etc.
4. Take out a portion of cooked vegetables and/or meats before adding sauces or pastes that contain wheat/egg products.

The Beginnings of a Toddler

My son is almost 14 months old and he is definitely growing out of that cute "baby" phase and moving on into "toddlerhood". He is a very active little boy & doesn't stop moving climbing up and down and playing with his toys or the odd shoe left in the living room. It has been a joy watching him grow and develop over the last year and especially in the last few months. His understanding of words just amazes me. Just the other day I asked him to bring me a white bag that was left in the middle of the room, it's like he knew exactly what I said and he walked over to the bag with no hesitation, picked it up and walked back to me and put it in my hand. And what's even more amazing he is beginning to talk. I was sitting at my computer one time & he walked over to me and handed me a book and said "read". I then asked him to sit down which he did immediately and I sat next to him and began to read him his book. When did he learn to do this? It just stunned me & I've just realised I need to try and keep up with his developments. On the flip side I've noticed an increase in what seems to be the start of tantrums and I can see it happens when he tries to communicate with his babbling and pointing but I'm unable to understand what he really wants and he walks away in frustration.

Recently I've read in a parenting magazine about baby signing and research has shown that it can accelerate a child's acquisition of speech and signing can reduce the frustration often experienced in pre-verbal children which is a major contributor of toddler tantrums. So I think it's time to learn about baby signing and hopefully  we'll be able to communicate with each other and have less of the toddler tantrums. Stay tuned and I'll let you know how it goes. 

Donna Hay Vanilla Custard Slice

This is a great recipe I came across in Donna Hay Magazine issue 51. Here is a quick run down of how its made. Sorry there isn't a photo for this recipe, we ate it before I could even take a photo. 

2 sheets puff pastry

1 1/2 C (375ml) milk

1 1/2 C (375ml) pouring cream

60g butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 C caster sugar

1/3 C cornflour

1/2 C water

6 egg yolks

icing sugar, for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree Celcius. Place the pastry sheets on baking trays lined with baking paper. Place an additional baking tray on each sheet as a weight. Bake for 20-25 mins. Cool on wire rack.

2. Place the milk, cream, butter, vanilla and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat & cook until mixture comes to the boil. Remove from heat & combine the cornflour and water & whisk into the hot milk mixture with the egg yolks. Return to heat and cook, whisking, until thickened. 

3. Cut pastry sheets to fit a square tin lined with baking paper. Top with the custard and place the remaining sheet and press down gently. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Dust with icing sugar and slice to serve. 

Shopping When There Isn't Much to Spend

Brand new baby clothes

My husband & I love to shop and seriously who doesn't?! We love to get new looks, upgrade our luggage and of course give our child more and more things to play with. As a young family we are always finding ways to provide for each other and still live within our means. Here I'd like to share with you two ways in which we have saved money & still been able to buy the things we want. 

1- Visit your local second hand store. We love to visit the local Vinnies & Salvos. The other day I was able to find all these brand new baby clothes still with tags on & each item costed between $1-2. These can make for perfect gifts or you can keep them safe for yourself for that special moment. These places are also good for finding luggage, most of what we have found has been hardly used & what could have been much more expensive from a retail shop we got for $5. Just a note of warning, once you have finished browsing through the shop & picking up all your little goodies, do a final check through your shopping basket to make sure you have what you need & put back the items that aren't necessary. Trust me it's so easy to find many 'nice' things that we like & don't need.  

2- Check out Gumtree/Ebay. Gumtree has seriously become my new best friend. I found our bed on it for free, yes that right, it was FREE! We just had to organise pick up. I have noticed many people give away furniture & other household items. This is a great place to look if you are planning on moving out & want to start out small. 

The key to successful shopping is patience, having a list of things to buy & visiting the stores/websites frequently. Don't be disappointed if you don't find what you want straight away, it usually comes when you least expect it and when it does you'll enjoy the moment. HAPPY SHOPPING!! 

Simple Vanilla Cake

Nothing smells better than a cake baking in the oven and that's exactly what I wanted the kitchen to smell like today! There is something about it that makes the house feel so homely & welcoming. So if anyone is around feel free to come in & try it. I just made one fresh this afternoon. 

When I call it simple trust me I mean it. I'm not one for complicated cooking & too many ingredients. I seriously whipped it up in 5 mins & then popped it into the oven.

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups self-raising flour

1 cup milk

3/4 oil

1 tsp vanilla essence

1. Mix sugar and eggs with an electric beater, then add flour, milk, oil & vanilla.
2. Bake in oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 60 mins 

Yes it is really that easy & these are ingredients that you always find at home! So if your craving a little sugar this is something to indulge in. Enjoy

Very very Easy Quiche

Bacon, Corn & Zucchini Quiche

I love this recipe, it's so simple & tasty. It has never failed me & it can be done so quickly with whatever ingredients you have at home. This recipe makes 2 quiches in a shallow round baking dish which is even better, one for now & one for later. 

4 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
3 Tbs melted butter
1/2 cup Self-raising flour
1 1/2 cups grated tasty cheese
2 cups of filling (eg. bacon, corn, zucchini, spinach)
2 sheets puff pastry or short crust

1. Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Whisk together eggs, milk, butter and flour
3. Fold in cheese & fillings
4. Oil dish & line with puff pastry
5. Bake for 40 mins in dish or 20-30 mins in muffin tray